


Monkey Men

by ShadeofGreen



Category: Persona 5, Persona | Revelations Persona
Genre: Gen, Minor Original Character(s), Minor Spoilers, Minor appearances of other P1 characters, Persona 1 Spoilers, Spoilers, but no major spoilers are given, fic goes up to September/October, mark's mom appears in the second chapter, ryuji's mom appear in the beginning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-11-09 01:55:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11094471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadeofGreen/pseuds/ShadeofGreen
Summary: Ryuji Sakamoto, believe or not, seems to have a habit of getting people to call him monkey or monkey related things. He honestly doesn't mind them, but for some reason, half the time they're use as insults, and well, he has his limit.Luckily for Ryuji, he's not alone when it comes to this subject.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> How the story came to be: Ryuji gets call monkey and monkey related things, and minor spoilers alert, his Ultimate Persona is a monkey. Mark gets call monkey and monkey related things and if you look at his beanie, the design thing resembles a monkey. Conclusion: Male Persona Users of the Chariot Arcana really get compare to monkey, huh?
> 
> Please excuse any grammar mistakes, spellings mistakes, mistaken canon facts, and the fact I slightly fudge canon for something in this fic to happen (while it is possible it could happen due to P1's where are they now epilogue, the chances of that happening very low. I'm curious if anyone will figure it out).

Ryuji Sakamoto, believe or not, seems to have a habit of getting people to call him monkey or monkey related things. The first that happened was when he was a kid. He and his mother were walking home together, and Ryuji, the dumb child that he was, wanted to climb a tree. It was a tree the two always saw when they took this route, and the boy ever so wanted to climb it. It was not too big, and not too small. It was the right size for a five year old kid.

“No,” his mother always answers. “I’m afraid you might fall and break your bones.”

Ryuji loves his mother, so he always obeys her. Today however, was different.

“I guess it might be fine. Just don’t climb too far up, okay?”

“Okay mom!” Ryuji gave her a front toothless smile and ran towards the tree. He honestly overestimated how big the tree was though.

Ryuji had trouble getting to the first branch, let alone the second. _I’m going to fall_ , Ryuji thought, as his grip on the branch was getting loose. As he struggles to get to the second branch though, someone gave him a small push up.

It was his mother.

“Well, come on. Climb.” His mother gives him a warm smile. “Climb, little monkey.”

He climbed to the fifth branch before he fell. Ryuji didn’t ask to climb trees much afterward.

* * *

The second time it happened, he was fifteen. He was fifteen and his entire life went down the drain in one minute flat by Kamoshida.

Ryuji didn’t like how the bastard was treating the track team. It just wasn’t fair. How did the damn school allowed the man to abuse them was made no sense at all. The fact that Kamoshida spread stuff about his home life in retaliation to abuse was just another layer of insult.

Breaking his leg however, was the worst of all.

With the track club hating him, he was soon label an outsider. A delinquent. No one wanted to associate with him, and no one wanted to do anything with him. He was left alone. He hated that.

“I do have pity for Sakamoto,” Kamoshida says to the principal one day, a little out of Ryuji’s view. “The kid was the best out of them all. He had potential to go all the way to the Olympics. It’s a shame that’s all gone though. It’s like a monkey never being able to use his tail again.”

Ryuji pretty much decided he hate being call a monkey after that.

* * *

Morgana wasn’t honestly a human, despite his insisting that he was. Nonetheless, the cat was the third person to call Ryuji a monkey. If anything, it was more of an innocent observation. They had just finished exploring Mementos, after a long day of fighting and filling out requests. They had just gotten back to the entrance when it happened. Mona was following Joker when he suddenly turns to him.

“You know something, Skull?”

“What?”

“Your mask looks a bit like a monkey.”

“It looks like what!?” The teenager bend down to the cat's level and stares at him.

“Yeah, yeah. I didn’t realize you were a skeleton monkey.”

Morgana pats his paws onto Ryuji’s mask. “It makes you look funny.” He blocked out the rest of the cat’s chattering after that. Ryuji didn’t want to hear any more nonsense about monkeys. Kamoshida pretty much ruin that for him.

Despite all the arguments and teasing between the two, Ryuji considers him and Morgana to be friends. It’s not like friends never fought with each other. If they never fought with one another, it means there was nothing there at all and things would be dull and boring. The fight before going into Okamura’s Palace for the first time, however, made Ryuji think back on that observation. He’s starting to believe that every time he’s being call a monkey, it’s as an insult.

* * *

Technically, this would have been the third person, but with the inclusion of Morgana, he was the fourth. It was a little after Morgana re-join and Haru joined them. Ryuji met the man in Shibuya Station. The man was in his late thirties, and his clothes looked like they came from the 90’s, what with all the many colors and bagginess. In his hand was a bag, and what was inside it Ryuji could only imagine. On his head was a yellow beanie hat with a face on it. On closer inspection, Ryuji could see his clothes did come from the 90’s, and they were old. _Is this man lost or something_ , he thought, and decided to follow the man. **Big mistake.**

“Hey, kid, do you know any places to clean clothes?” The man was directly speaking to him.

“Um, yes.” Well, it was rude if he didn’t answer back.

“Can you take me there? I need these guys clean ASAP,” the man tells Ryuji, showing him the inside of the bag. Two pairs of brown and black slacks, one white dress shirt, one grey dress shirt, and three things look like vests were in there. “I uh, need something nice for a meeting with someone later tonight. I normally would have worn something more casual,” the man explains to him, “but he’s a black and white tie event guy. You know what I’m saying?”

“Gotcha. I’m actually off to see a friend of mine, but the area has a laundromat. I can show you the way,” says Ryuji, while unsure what was a black and white tie event, was damn sure he overheard Morgana telling their leader about a laundromat.

“Thanks!” The man gives him a friendly pat on the shoulders, and for a split second, he could tell by the man’s face he was confused about…something. The man quickly brushes whatever it was though, as he asks him where they were going.

It took awhile to actually find it (just because Ryuji knows about it didn’t mean he knew where it was), but the man was finally able to clean his clothes. Ryuji ended up hanging around for a bit (as his friend was busy doing something else, and wouldn’t be back until later).

“Are you new to Tokyo?”

“It is obvious? This place is a lot bigger than where I grew up.”

“Where’s that?”

“Mikage-cho. If I was there right now, my mom would have force me to pay to get these clean.”

“Why?”

“My family runs a dry cleaning service. As much as she loves me, she loves getting money for her business.” The man chuckles, pulling out the last of his load.

“Hey, what you said earlier about your meeting,” Ryuji says to him, curious about something. “When you say casual clothes, do you mean…”

“This?” The man points to his tacky outfit. “Nah. It’s my work clothes. I honestly remember about the meeting until a few hours ago, and I didn’t have time to change. This however,” he continues, taking off the yellow beanie hat, “isn’t. Worn this baby since high school.”

The man gave the hat to Ryuji with a smile. On closer inspection of the hat, it was even older than what the man was currently wearing. Loose threads were out. The yellow color was faded, and the words on the button was faded too (although you can still read it). The face wasn’t really a face, and in fact, look more like a cute

“Monkey.” Ryuji looks up to the man and glares. “What did you say to me?”

“Monkey. He’s a cute little guy, huh? What with that crown of his.” The man’s smile was now a frown, as if he was wondering if he said the wrong thing to the teenager.

“Oh…,” replies Ryuji, handing it back to him. Ryuji wasn’t sure why he snapped like that before. He might have been tired of monkeys, but it was clear the man has a weird fondness for them. It wasn’t worth letting himself get work up for it.

The man puts backs on his hat, and puts his clean clothes into the bag. He buries his brows, and suddenly, places both hands onto Ryuji’s shoulder. “We might be strangers, and I doubt we have anything in common. But let me tell you this. I was in your situation before. Don’t let it get to you. Own up to the name. Accept the fact we are monkey men. Nothing is going to change that, kid.”

“Monkey men? What the eff-?” Ryuji wasn’t sure how the man figure out his problem, but it was clear he just call him, no, he call the both of them monkeys. Ryuji couldn’t finish what he was going to say next, as the man pick up his bag, and left. It was like one of those old American Westerns with the hero walking off to the sunset on his horse. He didn’t have much time to think on it, as his cellphone suddenly rang to bring him back to his thoughts.

* * *

Ryuji couldn’t believe it.

Captain Kidd changed. Into Seiten Taisei. Sun Wukong. The Monkey King himself. He should have seen this coming a mile away. But he didn’t.

_I was in your situation before. Don’t let it get to you. Own up to the name. Accept the fact we are monkey men._

That’s what the man said. Was the man call that once before? When he was in high school?

The man didn’t even say it in spite. He didn’t say it as a joke. The man, despite his sucky attempt of trying to cheer someone up, meant it as a compliment. It was such a long time since someone meant it in that way.

Well, it’s not Ryuji can get Captain Kidd back.

* * *

Ryuji almost would have forgotten about the man if it weren’t for the photo in the magazine. Ryuji was really skimming through it (and who doesn’t skim through them?). Frankly, Ryuji wouldn’t have even considered looking at the photo to begin with.

He has to thanks Yusuke for that. Yusuke, for whatever, took notice of the man. Ryuji didn’t even realize Yusuke was reading over his shoulders.

“Is that him? Is that _really_ him?” Yusuke snatches the magazine from Ryuji and stares in awe.

“Um…what are you talking about?”

“This man right here! Masao Inaba!” Yusuke points a finger to the man in the photo. Ryuji saw the man with the yellow beanie hat in his forsaken work clothes.

Curious about the man, Ryuji asks, “Masao Inaba? You know this guy?

“Mr. Inaba is an artist known for his street style,” answers Yusuke. “Madarame was never a fan of him, saying that graffiti was not true art. When I was younger, I agreed with him, and not because of Madarame himself. There was something in his art that I didn’t like. After seeing one of his public pieces in person though, I must say I appreciate them more.”

“But you never actually met or talk to him?” asks Ryuji.

“No. Why are you asking?”

So Ryuji told him about how he help Masao Inaba clean his formalwear.

Yusuke didn’t believe him due to one certain detail.

Apparently, Masao Inaba never wears formal clothes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Masao Inaba, believe it or not, hates being call monkey or monkey related things. He knew it when he was a six-year-old boy, and his hatred for it went with him until his teenage years. As an adult, he got over it, and frankly, he never considered the idea that there would be another teenager with the same problem.
> 
> Until Masao met him of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I look back at the two and a half pages (so that last note on the other chapter is now gone). I told myself 'okay, I'll post them, but let me fix it up a bit'. Somehow it turn into a minor rewrite to avoid the major spoilers, and that itself turn into a major rewrite to where only bits of the original two and a half pages remain despite being longer.
> 
> Please excuse any spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes, occ-ness, and mistaken canon facts (but frankly, what I did in this chapter probably fudged canon more all ready than the last one).

Masao Inaba, believe or not, **hates** being call monkey or monkey related things. He knew it when he was a six-year-old boy, walking home from school for the day. He was minding his own business, skipping all the way home when he bump into the back of a man. The man was old, wore a dark blue suit, and was holding an ugly briefcase. Masao knew from the man’s angry glare that he was upset with him.

“Watch where you going kid!” snaps the man, holding the case in his right hand very tight.

“I’m-I’m sorry…,” mumbles Masao, as he shrinks back away from the adult.

“What’s that?” asks the man, cupping his left hand to his ear. “I don’t have your monkey ears you know!"

Masao looks at the man with a confuse look. “Great. You have terrible hearing as well. This is a waste of my time,” says the man, as he started to walk away. “Just don’t bump into me again, got it?”

Masao didn’t answer the man. Instead, the boy looks at his reflection at a nearby trashcan. It wasn’t clear, but Masao could tell that his ears were slightly bigger. Frowning, Masao gives out a low sigh before slowly walking home with his head hanging low.

* * *

Masao is fourteen years old, and his last three weeks of middle school suck balls thanks to Wakana Kino. Wakana was the school’s baseball star and close friend of his. Or rather, former close friend. Masao didn’t mean to over the two girls talk, he really didn’t. All he wanted to do was to get something from his desk when he heard them talking about him.

“Masao sure has a knack at arts,” says the friend. “The delinquents pigeons he drew on the chalkboard is super cool!”

“It doesn’t excuse his face. I swear, whenever I talk to him for long, I keep on thinking he resembles a monkey. I know it’s not his fault, but boy does it bother me!”

Masao, clutching his hand to his heart, quickly decides to leave. Wakana’s hurtful comment made him remember the old man’s insult. For the next two weeks, all Masao could think was ‘I’m a freaking monkey’, putting him in a funk. He has to thanks his mom for getting him out of it.

“Massie! Is that you?” calls a faint voice from the living room one day after school.

“Yeah Mom, it’s me,” answers Masao, taking off his shoes.

“Oh good! I did some shopping earlier today, and I picked out a few things for you!”

“Great,” mutters Masao, as he made his way towards her. “I wonder what fashion disaster she picked out this time.” As much as he loves his mother, she has the strangest taste in clothing. They were always so out there, and they usually included animals.

Masao got into the living room to find his mother smiling wide, with a bright yellow beanie in her hands. On it was a face design of sorts. Actually, if Masao has to be honestly, the face wasn’t really a face, and in fact-

Frowning, Mark points a finger to the white figure. “Is that a monkey on the beanie?”

“Yep! I found this all alone on the shelf and I thought to myself, ‘I think Massie would notice the cute thing’, and I was right! Ooh, please tell me you’ll wear it when you’re in high school?”

Masao loves his mom a whole lot, and while he has a great distaste for monkeys, the boy gave her a smile. The hat was one of the better clothes she brought him in quite awhile. The mom quickly claps her hands, and places the beanie on top of his head.

* * *

Mark was resisting the urge to pull that little brat hair until she begs him to stop. She may have been a kid, but damn, did she know how to push people’s button. Calling Maki flatty was bad enough, but what she said next grinded his gears (and why did she only targeted him?).

“Shut up, monkeyboy! Ook ook, eek eek. It’s a monkeyboy!”

“What did you call me, you spoiled brat!?” Mark clenches his hand into a tight fist. What was it with everyone calling him monkey related things? It was getting more annoying by the minute.

“Calm down, monkeyman,” says Nanjo, with his usual smirk on his face.

Mark quickly turns around to look at him. Nanjo wasn’t helping the situation get better. “Nanjo, you jerk! You’re next!” I _don’t care if he usually says this bullcrap_ , thought Mark. _I’m going to get that rich asshole if he says it one more time._

Naoya, Yuka, and Hidehiko, turns to look at Nanjo, before the three of them turn their attention back at Mark. Yuka and Hidehiko’s faces read ‘Do the thing’. Nayoa however, has a face that reads ‘Don’t do the thing’. Before Mark could do anything, Elly, Yukino, Nanjo and Reiji got into a fighting stance.

“Mark! This is no time to fool around!” says Elly, as she draws out her fencing sword.

“I agree with Elly!” cries Yukino, drawing out her razor blades. “We need to stay focus!”

“You’d all better snap out of it, or it’ll be your funeral,” says Reiji, who honestly looks like he was ready to punch something hard.

“What is that hideous thing?” asks Nanjo, getting ready to his is sword.

The other quickly turns back around to see what the big deal was. Turns out the brat summoned a giant ass mechanical rat with a giant machine gun (was it a machine gun, Mark couldn’t tell, but it sure looks like one) strap on the back name Tesso to kill them all. Screw Tesso to hell and back. That thing was terribly hard to defeat, even with all nine of them.

* * *

Mark is twenty-five years old, after creating minor pieces for exhibits in New York, decided to make a piece for all of Japan to see. While many different things inspired his pieces, the Sebec incident left a rather impressionable presence, so once in awhile Mark made something based off that part of his life. _I wonder what he has to say about it_ , thought Mark, walking over to one of his guest –who Mark was certain only came just for potential publicity- looking at it.

It was a woman with massive oddly shape butterfly wings sprouting out of her back. Her skin was a strange purple tone, and her long, stringy hair was covering most of her body. The background was a mesh of greens, grays, and blacks triangles and rectangles. Things may have been different from the real one, but it’s was Mark’s interpretation of her.

“Did you seriously make a work based off Pandora?” asks Hidehiko, taking off his sunglasses.

“Yep,” answers Mark, patting his friend on the back. “And don’t worry. I got the okay from Maki.”

“You know, I could have swore that Pandora’s hair was shorter,” states Hidehiko, stroking his chin. “In fact, I believe Pandora’s hair was the same length as Maki.”

“Artistic creativity, Brown,” answers Mark, putting his arm around him.

“Other than that nitpick, I think it’s great!” Hidehiko turns to look at Mark, and gives him a big smile. “I’m so glad I’m friends with an up and rising artist. This could make my show go even bigger! I know! Maybe if I invite you, my ratings will go up!”

Mark shook his head at the comment. “Of course you came for your show.”

“Ah, don’t think that way! It’s a win-win for both of us. You get to promote yourself, and I will get the hearts of the lovely viewers at home. Besides, the world should see how talented you are!”

“Talented you may be, I think you’re lacking something,” says a voice behind the two of them.

Mark removes his arm from Hidehiko, and the two young men turns around to find a man in traditional Japanese clothing, and his slow graying hair was in a ponytail. His arms were cross, there was a little beard on his chin, and his left eyebrow was raise up.

“Ichiryusai Madarame,” says Mark, walking closer the man. He couldn’t believe that Japan’s most famous artist was standing right in front of him. _This is going to be interesting_ , thought Mark, as the two men shakes hands with each other.

“Masao Inaba. I learned quite a bit about you from my associates. Son of laundromat owners, you went overseas to New York to study art. As I stated before, you are talented.” Madarame, uncrosses his arms before sighing. “However, I fear that being overseas isn’t enough. You need more than a distinguish style. Just looking at your works tells me you have hidden potential that can’t be reached. Your style is as if there is infinite amount of monkeys on a typewriter coming up with a William Shakespeare work.”

“Hey!” Hidehiko walks up to the famous artist, and jabs a finger into his chest. “I don’t care if you’re a hotshot, but you can’t compare my friends to something like that!”

“But it is true,” replies Madarame, sticking his chin up into the air, a rather haughty move for an apparent humble and modest artist. “Your friend’s style isn’t worthy of being in the art world. Has he been younger, I could have taken him in and show the world his true potential.”

“True potential? I knew this guy since freaking high school! I **know** his true potential!” Hidehiko was about push the older man if Mark didn’t place himself between the two of them.

“Hidehiko, thanks for defending my works, but I can take it over from here. Madarame-san, Thank you for the compliment,” states Mark, turning to look at the artist and gives him the biggest smile Mark can give. “Monkeys can certainly do that if given the time and effort. Might not be the best work, but it’s damn something to look at. After all, it’s not every day a monkey can even work out a typewriter to begin with.”

Mark gives a small wave goodbye to Madarame before putting an arm around Hidehiko. “I appreciate you visiting me though. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.”

As the two friends walked back to ‘Pandora’, Hidehiko gave out a small cough, before going to full out laughter. The man shakes his head in disbelief, and pats Mark on the back. “You just got insulted by Ichiryusai Madarame and turned it against him. Ichiryusai. Madarame. Japan’s most famous and beloved artist of all time!”

“I know. I’m still shock I even did that,” says Mark, holding his hand to his head.

“Mark, my pal, that is one of the most awesome things I ever seen in my life!” Hidehiko continues to back Mark’s back. “You even owned up to that monkey comparison!”

* * *

Mark has always had a terrible sense of direction ever since he was a teenager back in Mikage-cho. Therefore, he wasn’t surprised when he somehow managed to get lost in Shibuya Station of all places. Mark was carrying a bag with his only formal clothes for his meeting with Nanjo (it’s not Mark’s fault for not keeping up with news from the Shadow Operatives. They get screw over so many times by the government he wasn’t shock when they actually were ‘shut down’).

Luckily, for Mark, there was a teenage boy with his spiky hair dyed blonde following behind him. He wasn’t sure why he was being followed, but maybe he can help a stranger out. Mark turns around to speak to the teenager. “Hey, kid, do you know any places to clean clothes?”

“Um, yes.”

“Can you take me there? I need these guys clean ASAP.” Mark shows the teenager the contents inside the bag: two pairs of brown and black slacks, one white dress shirt, one grey dress shirt, and three things look like vests were in there. “I uh, need something nice for a meeting with someone later tonight. I normally would have worn something more casual,” Mark explains to him, “but he’s a black and white tie event guy. You know what I’m saying?”

“Gotcha. I’m actually off to see a friend of mine, but the area has a laundromat. I can show you the way,” says the teenager, who Mark was certain he never heard the words black and white tie event in his life before.

“Thanks!” Mark gives him a friendly pat on the shoulders. In that one second, Mark could tell that the teenager had a Persona. It was a Persona with high rebellious spirits, and he wanted to set sail into the sea. Mark can’t summon Susano-o anymore, but that didn’t mean he could still tell him to shut up. Unfortunately, the teenager he notices from Mark’s face that something was wrong, so Mark quickly started talking. “So…where are we going?”

They ended up heading towards Yongen-Jaya. After wasting a good amount of time, they found the laundromat, which was right near the bathhouse the entire time. The teenager slaps his forehead at revelations of this fact. “You know, something in my gut told me that I should have known it was here, but somehow, I forgot about it until now. Sorry for wasting your time.”

“Don’t sweat it,” says Mark, waving a hand into the air to show he wasn’t offended. “I had a similar experience when I was younger regarding the local hospital where I grew up. My friends and I got lost for a good two hours. Your experience can happen to anyone.”

The teenager ended up staying for a bit after learning his friend was busy with something and wouldn’t be back until later. Mark didn’t mind some company, but Susano-o quickly pointed out that the teenager has a personal issue that needs to solve immediately. _Oh great_ , thought Mark, as he was waiting for the last load to be finish. _I might have to give advice to a kid. The last time I did that, Reiji gave me the smack down of the century, literally._

“Are you new to Tokyo?” asks the teenager.

_Small talk can work_ , thought Mark. Mark ended up giving a few personal details about his life and let loose the name of Mikage-cho, along with maybe promoting his parent’s dry cleaning service at well. Susano-o didn’t say anything much.The teenager changes the subject to Mark’s work clothes, with lead to Mark taking off his yellow hat with a smile.

Taking off the hat was a mistake. _**THAT WAS NOT THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION AND YOU OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT**_ , shouts Susano-o.

Susano-o was correct. The teenager’s expression wasn’t the smiling one just a moment ago. He was frowning, as he let his fingers run through the old worn out fabric and faded out yet still readable button. Mark knows the expression on the teenager’s face all too well, but he shouldn’t jump to conclusion just yet. _There’s only one way to figure it out though_ , thought Mark, preparing himself to say the dreaded word the teenager most likely hates.

“Monkey.”

The teenager looks up at Mark and glares. “What did you say to me?”

“Monkey. He’s a cute little guy, huh? What with that crown of his.” Mark was frowning back, realizing that the teenager’s problem was one the man knew all too well.

“Oh…,” replies the teenager, handing the hat back to him.

Mark puts backs on his hat, and puts his clean clothes into the bag, trying to figure out what to say to him. What could he say to a teenager with the same problem like him? No one told Mark what to do when he was younger. After some debating, he finishes putting the last of his clothes into his bag, and places both hands onto the teenager’s shoulders.

“We might be strangers, and I doubt we have anything in common. But let me tell you this. I was in your situation before. Don’t let it get to you. Own up to the name. Accept the fact we are monkey men. Nothing is going to change that, kid.”

“Monkey men? What the eff-?” the teenager’s face was full of confusion, but Mark didn’t want to know what he was going to say next. Instead, he picks up his bag and left. As much as Mark wanted to reassure the kid he wasn’t the only Persona user, Mark was certain letting him know about more Persona users would have caused a whole lot of trouble.

As Mark rode the train back to his place, the man could only think about the teenager. He couldn't believe he just meet one of the Phantom Thieves in person. They have been on the news for quite some time, and a change of hearts sounds like they’re changing something from the target’s Shadow. Mark wouldn’t be surprised if they were though. The second he learned about Madarame’s confession from Hidehiko, Mark became a silent support for them.

The standing man looks out the window, bag still in his hand. _Despite what the public says, I’ll always going to support you_ , thought Mark. _So good luck, fellow monkey man. Good luck to you and your friends in changing the world for the better._


End file.
